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US 2022/0029413 A1Published application
Electrostatic discharge protection circuit
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsMing-Fang Lai, Yi-Hsun Wu, Ching-Yun Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrostatic discharge protection circuit includes an electrostatic discharge clamp between a first rail and a second rail, a trigger device configured to activate the electrostatic discharge clamp in response to an electrostatic discharge event, and a charge dissipation element between the first rail and the second rail to dissipate a residual charge at an input of the trigger device.
Claims23
A circuit comprising:
- an electrostatic discharge clamp between a first rail and a second rail;
- a trigger device configured to activate the electrostatic discharge clamp in response to an electrostatic discharge event, wherein the trigger device receives a trigger signal as a first input and a second virtual power rail as a second input, wherein the trigger signal is connected to a first node, and wherein the second virtual power rail is connected to a second node;
- and
- a charge dissipation element between the first node and the second rail to dissipate a residual charge at the first node, wherein the charge dissipation element comprises one of a single reverse diode, a single NMOS diode, or a single PMOS diode.
1 more element
-9. (canceled)
(canceled)
A circuit comprising:
- a first virtual power rail connected to a first rail via a first diode;
- a second virtual power rail connected to the first rail via a second diode, wherein the second virtual power rail is connected to a second node;
- an electrostatic discharge clamp connected between the first virtual power rail and a second rail;
- a trigger device connected to the electrostatic discharge clamp and configured to activate the electrostatic discharge clamp during an electrostatic discharge event based upon a voltage level of the second virtual power rail and the voltage level of a trigger signal, wherein the trigger signal is connected to a first node;
- and
- a charge dissipation element connected between the second rail and the second node to dissipate residual charge from the second node, wherein the charge dissipation element comprises one of a single reverse diode, a single NMOS diode, or a single PMOS diode.
3 more elements
(canceled)
A method comprising:
- connecting an electrostatic discharge clamp between a first rail and a second rail;
- connecting a trigger device to the electrostatic discharge clamp, wherein the trigger device receives a trigger signal as a first input and a second virtual power rail as a second input, wherein the trigger signal is connected to a first node, and wherein the second virtual power rail is connected to a second node;
- connecting a charge dissipation element between the first node and the second rail, wherein the charge dissipation element comprises one of a single reverse diode, a single NMOS diode, or a single PMOS diode;
- dissipating a residual charge by the charge dissipation element from the first node to the second rail;
- varying an output of the trigger device in response to an electrostatic discharge event to activate the electrostatic discharge clamp;
- and
- diverting electrostatic discharge current by the electrostatic discharge clamp from the first rail to the second rail in response to the activation.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.